Title: Why do volcanoes and earthquakes occur? How did Hawaii end up in the middle of the ocean?
Lesson Overview During this lesson students will use their scientific reading strategies for a jigsaw activity. Students will be broken into four expert groups. Each expert group will be reading a different article. One graphic organizer will be used for all groups with the questions for the four different articles. This way the information can be shared and kept in the same place for all of the students. This activity is designed to introduce them to a few natural disasters before they move onto a unit on earthquakes and volcanoes. This is a two-day activity.
Objectives 1. Students will demonstrate scientific reading strategies. 2. Students will provide evidence for the theory of plate tectonics from the scientific articles. 3. Students will demonstrate writing and summarizing skills.
Materials 4 different articles with supporting evidence about the theory of plate tectonics (Printed) Graphic organizer
Opening Questions of the day: Why do volcanoes and earthquakes occur? How did Hawaii end up in the middle of the ocean? This is how the class will begin. Do you remember the devastation of any natural disasters in your lifetime? If students do not have anything to participate with I will mention some, like Pompeii or the devastating earthquake on the San Andreas Fault. This will open up discussion and get students interested in the activity. Have you ever wondered how islands appear in the middle of the ocean? Students will be told that they will be reading about different phenomena of natural disasters. Before the articles are handed out to the students, they will be asked about the different reading strategies so they can remember to use them and will be reminded of their cue sheet. At this time the students will be asked to take it out. The activity will be explained so they know clearly that they will need to understand their article completely and have all of the answers filled out because they are responsible for teaching the other students in their jigsaw group the following day. (15 minutes)
Learning Activities The articles will be passed out to the students. The students will read their articles practicing their scientific reading strategies. Then the students break into their expert groups so they can complete the graphic organizer together. At this time the teacher will circle the room asking probing questions to help engage the students when necessary. The teacher will also be listening to see if the students are on the right track and take note of any misconceptions. Students will fill out their graphic organizers, and then discuss the content for clarity within their groups. (30-35 minutes)
Closing For the last 15 minutes the students will quickly present their information to the teacher in their small groups. Here the teacher will have the opportunity to ask questions about anything that seems unclear. Then the teacher can clear up any misconceptions students may have before they pass the information on to other students. While the students are individually presenting the students will be working on a crossword with the major plate tectonic term for the upcoming unit test. Then the teacher will explain to the students as a whole what will happen the next day for the jigsaw activity.
Assessment The teacher will informally assess the students during the group time and during the mini presentation with the teacher. The final assessment will not be until after the jigsaw groups have met and the students write their 2-3 paragraphs on the information they have learned.
Homework No homework most of the students should have already completed the graphic organizer in class, but if they still did not complete it they will do it for homework.
Unit: Plate Tectonics
Title: Why do volcanoes and earthquakes occur? How did Hawaii end up in the middle of the ocean?
Lesson Overview
During this lesson students will use their scientific reading strategies for a jigsaw activity. Students will be broken into four expert groups. Each expert group will be reading a different article. One graphic organizer will be used for all groups with the questions for the four different articles. This way the information can be shared and kept in the same place for all of the students. This activity is designed to introduce them to a few natural disasters before they move onto a unit on earthquakes and volcanoes. This is a two-day activity.
Objectives
1. Students will demonstrate scientific reading strategies.
2. Students will provide evidence for the theory of plate tectonics from the scientific articles.
3. Students will demonstrate writing and summarizing skills.
Materials
4 different articles with supporting evidence about the theory of plate tectonics (Printed)
Graphic organizer
Links to Resources
http://geology.com/press-release/south-american-plate-moves/
http://geology.com/articles/san-andreas-fault.shtml
http://geology.com/usgs/hawaiian-hot-spot/
http://geology.com/volcanoes/galeras/
Safety Issues
Instruction
Opening
Questions of the day: Why do volcanoes and earthquakes occur? How did Hawaii end up in the middle of the ocean? This is how the class will begin. Do you remember the devastation of any natural disasters in your lifetime? If students do not have anything to participate with I will mention some, like Pompeii or the devastating earthquake on the San Andreas Fault. This will open up discussion and get students interested in the activity. Have you ever wondered how islands appear in the middle of the ocean? Students will be told that they will be reading about different phenomena of natural disasters. Before the articles are handed out to the students, they will be asked about the different reading strategies so they can remember to use them and will be reminded of their cue sheet. At this time the students will be asked to take it out. The activity will be explained so they know clearly that they will need to understand their article completely and have all of the answers filled out because they are responsible for teaching the other students in their jigsaw group the following day.
(15 minutes)
Learning Activities
The articles will be passed out to the students. The students will read their articles practicing their scientific reading strategies. Then the students break into their expert groups so they can complete the graphic organizer together. At this time the teacher will circle the room asking probing questions to help engage the students when necessary. The teacher will also be listening to see if the students are on the right track and take note of any misconceptions. Students will fill out their graphic organizers, and then discuss the content for clarity within their groups.
(30-35 minutes)
Closing
For the last 15 minutes the students will quickly present their information to the teacher in their small groups. Here the teacher will have the opportunity to ask questions about anything that seems unclear. Then the teacher can clear up any misconceptions students may have before they pass the information on to other students. While the students are individually presenting the students will be working on a crossword with the major plate tectonic term for the upcoming unit test. Then the teacher will explain to the students as a whole what will happen the next day for the jigsaw activity.
Assessment
The teacher will informally assess the students during the group time and during the mini presentation with the teacher. The final assessment will not be until after the jigsaw groups have met and the students write their 2-3 paragraphs on the information they have learned.
Homework
No homework most of the students should have already completed the graphic organizer in class, but if they still did not complete it they will do it for homework.
Additional Notes